The Stone Foundation is excited to have launched its Pre-Tenancy Skills initiative in Suffolk.

Successful management of properties is a lot of things, but for us the most important aspect both from the point of view of the tenant and the landlord is that those tenancies go on to be successful.

This course will prepare new and prospective tenants with the skills necessary to sustain their tenancies, giving them the best chance of success. As a landlord, any measures that can reduce unnecessary void costs are worthwhile and if this also gives your tenants better skills and confidence then this is a course that you cannot afford to do without!

Fact – at least one third of care leavers will lose their accommodation in the first year.

Fact – it costs on average £8,000 to evict someone 

Fact – Cost of rough sleeping for 12 months (£20,128) Vs cost of successful intervention (£1,426) (At What Cost, 2015).

Pre-Tenancy Training is proven to reduce the risk of homelessness and ensures vulnerable and/or young people get the support, skills and knowledge to manage a home of their own with confidence.  As young people have been disproportionately affected by welfare reform it is important that they learn the skills necessary to sustain a tenancy and learn to be financially capable.

The training has been designed by the Money House, Greenwich

Since 2012 they have trained over 1000 participants to manage their own home and finances– empowering people with essential life skills and a base from which to grow.  (Training now delivered by MyBnk – see their impact report*)

The training is fun and interactive, delivered through a range of resources, creating a supportive environment – not classroom based. Interactive quizzes and games as well as facilitated discussion build confidence and understanding on the subject.

The training covers core modules as well as flexible modules depending on the group participants and what is most useful for them. There are guest speakers providing expert support and guidance, as well as mixing up the delivery – these are from local organisations and businesses such as Nat West and Haven Power.

Cooking meals on a budget is also woven into the course and experiential learning takes place by the group taking the lead in cooking healthy lunches for themselves, guided by volunteers who are passionate about sharing their love of cooking whilst being mindful of nutrition and low budgets.

At the end of the 3-day course, a Certificate of Attendance is given to all who have competed the course and participants are asked to provide feedback, which so far has been extremely positive.